Significant issues impacting the agency

Find out about the significant social and economic issues impacting the agency including shifting consumer expectations, increasing demand and population growth.

DoT continued to address a number of challenges across its various business units in 2018-19. These challenges, detailed below, arise from the community's changing needs for transport options for both personal and business use.

Issues in detail

Coastal infrastructure

On-demand transport reform implementation

Implementation of the on-demand transport reform will continue in 2019-20. The second stage of the reform, commencing in July 2019, will transition on-demand transport vehicles to a new authorisation framework as part of its focus on safety.

From July 2019, the restrictions on how Perth and regional taxis can operate, and in what number, will be removed, allowing fair competition within the taxi and charter sector and greater choices for the travelling public. New online application processes and reduced annual fees for vehicle authorisation will be introduced.

In 2019-20, Perth taxi plate owners will receive payments from the State Government’s Taxi Buyback Scheme to support them in transitioning to the more open market. The scheme is funded by industry through the On-demand Transport Levy which came into effect in April 2019.

State Government’s response to the Parliamentary Inquiry into Regional Airfares in WA

The 2017 Parliamentary Inquiry into Regional Airfares in WA found there are community concerns about airfares on unregulated air routes. DoT is leading the implementation of the State Government’s response to the 13 recommendations arising from the inquiry, focusing on identifying initiatives that will increase the availability of affordable airfares.

DoT is working in collaboration with a range of government agencies, airlines and community stakeholders to help inform the review of the State Aviation Strategy and identify opportunities for improvements in regional aviation.

Improving supply chain efficiency

WA exporters rely on the efficient and safe transportation of freight to support their competitiveness in the global marketplace. The State Government continues to work with industry to identify and address export supply chain constraints, both infrastructure and policy, in regional WA.

In line with this, DoT, in collaboration with PTA, Main Roads, and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, is developing the Revitalising Agricultural Region Freight Strategy to identify challenges facing the agricultural sector and opportunities to improve the efficiency and productivity of WA’s agricultural supply chains.

The State Government is investigating and implementing a number of initiatives to help reduce congestion and improve the efficiency of the entire container freight supply chain.

The State Government is committed to increasing the volume of freight on rail, and has increased the container rail subsidy in order to encourage the use of rail transport and reduce the impact of an increasing freight task on metropolitan roads.

Continued demand for coastal infrastructure

Demand for coastal infrastructure continues to grow, with the ongoing need for new or improved facilities in metropolitan and regional locations to cater for both recreational and commercial boating demands.

DoT is currently progressing the planning for an unprecedented number of significant maritime-related projects to ensure this demand is met.

The Westport Taskforce was established to develop a long-term plan to provide guidance to the State Government on the port, road, rail and intermodal infrastructure required to handle the State’s growing trade task for the next 50 years and beyond.

In December 2018 the Taskforce completed Stage 1 of its process by releasing the progress report, Westport: What we have found so far. In 2019-20 the Taskforce will complete a comprehensive multi-criteria analysis of its shortlisted port and supply chain scenarios and identify options to be presented to the State Government for consideration.

Continued investment in cycling infrastructure

The most recent cycling data shows cycling demand in Perth has grown, with trips in the Perth CBD increasing by 2% from 2017 to 2018. Strong growth has been observed where new infrastructure has been provided. For example, cycling traffic on the Tonkin Highway Principal Shared Path (PSP) near the Perth Airport has grown by 23% and similarly, cycling traffic on the Graham Farmer Freeway PSP near Matagarup Bridge and the Perth Stadium has grown by 49% compared to 2017 levels.

Improved customer and compliance outcomes drive service delivery

In 2018-19 DoT introduced an increased range of digital services to improve the customer experience including the Learn&Log application and Fleet Management Online and will continue to expand its digital services in 2019-20 with the introduction of digital billing.

In 2019-20, DoT will also support whole-of-government online initiatives and lead the delivery of the ServiceWA pilot. The pilot will leverage DoT’s established service delivery capability to bring together 85 everyday services across five agencies, transforming the way government delivers services to the community.

DoT is committed to continually improving the delivery of Practical Driving Assessments (PDAs) to achieve the best customer experience and road safety outcomes for the community now and in the future.

In 2019-20 DoT will continue to build on the success of its new service delivery model trial at its Kelmscott Driver and Vehicle Services Centre to further improve the learner driver experience and ultimately, road safety.

DoT will also continue to evaluate the use of in-cabin video, audio and GPS surveillance cameras to improve compliance outcomes for Heavy Vehicle Practical Driving Assessments performed by Authorised Providers around the State following the successful trial of the technology in 2018-19.

Preparing for connected and automated vehicles

In 2019-20 DoT will continue to work closely with associated agencies across Australia to introduce a practical legislative framework for connected and automated vehicles. This includes national coordination of standards, regulation and data handling requirements to set the highest standards of community safety and interoperability between states and territories of international technology.